ICS & Skyrocket

1. what on earth is\will ICS offer Skyrocket users, that other current OS's don't?
2. why are Google\carrier(s) taking so long to release ICS for the Skyrocket?
3. is this ICS a similar release to iOS 5, versus the old crappy iOS 3 & 4?

Thanks in advance, the responses to this thread will more than likely provide worthy information to many visitors

Ice Cream Sandwhich is the new version of Android, which is kind of like the ios4-5 update. Kind of, not exactly. A number of new features are included in the ICS upgrade including; Face Unlock, hardware acceleration, a new Holo Theme, and a few other goodies.

The main appeal of ICS is it has a much sleeker and interesting design, called the holo theme. This theme looks like this. Now, the only phones that get this theme is Google Nexus Devices (like the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon), UNLESS you root. Most of the ROMS for non nexus ICS devices are made to look like the holo theme. Other phones, like our SkyRocket have an overlay UI from Samsung called TouchWiz. HTC devices get Sense overlay, and Motorola phones have MotoBlur. TouchWiz designed a few useful features for their overlay (swiping the status bar slowly is a brightness slider), but it's a really ugly interface.

The update will be available .... soonish. That's all we know, ATT/Samsung will never announce a release date too far ahead of time; that's just how its done. Probably this month or the next unfortunately. Google has released the code for Android, but all carriers/manufacturers take that code and install their overlay on it/put bloatware on it, etc. This extra step from Google to Carriers/Manufacturers to us is what is taking so long.

I don't get why it takes so long for all these OEM's to put their face on the new OS. When Microsoft puts out Windows 7 for instance, it is immediately available from the OEM's. The OEM's have had it and the beta versions have already been available to the public for months before the official release...Hello?...Google?...future Rulers of the Universe?...are you listening? My Lord, get your sh_t together.

I don't get why it takes so long for all these OEM's to put their face on the new OS. When Microsoft puts out Windows 7 for instance, it is immediately available from the OEM's. The OEM's have had it and the beta versions have already been available to the public for months before the official release...Hello?...Google?...future Rulers of the Universe?...are you listening? My Lord, get your sh_t together.

It's not Google. It's Samsung. They have to create the drivers for the kernel and test it. This takes time. If you look at Samsung's release history, they release a broken version, pull it. They usually do this 3 times before it's right. Google released the code, now it's up to the manufacturers to finish tweaking it to make it work. Nobody wants a broken phone.

Yes it is frustrating but that is the life of software development.

Now as for MS, they did not release beta's to the developers back in the XP days. Thats why it was so unstable to begin with, the drivers were not tested enough. That all changed with Vista where they did a deveolpers beta. Fast forward to Win 7 and they did a developers preview (which worked quite well on my laptop) and then they have released the "Consumer Preview" ala Beta...... I have it installed but no time to truly test it. It took MS years to realize that developers needed it early for testing.

Ice Cream Sandwhich is the new version of Android, which is kind of like the ios4-5 update. Kind of, not exactly. A number of new features are included in the ICS upgrade including; Face Unlock, hardware acceleration, a new Holo Theme, and a few other goodies.

The main appeal of ICS is it has a much sleeker and interesting design, called the holo theme. This theme looks like this. Now, the only phones that get this theme is Google Nexus Devices (like the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon), UNLESS you root. Most of the ROMS for non nexus ICS devices are made to look like the holo theme. Other phones, like our SkyRocket have an overlay UI from Samsung called TouchWiz. HTC devices get Sense overlay, and Motorola phones have MotoBlur. TouchWiz designed a few useful features for their overlay (swiping the status bar slowly is a brightness slider), but it's a really ugly interface.

The update will be available .... soonish. That's all we know, ATT/Samsung will never announce a release date too far ahead of time; that's just how its done. Probably this month or the next unfortunately. Google has released the code for Android, but all carriers/manufacturers take that code and install their overlay on it/put bloatware on it, etc. This extra step from Google to Carriers/Manufacturers to us is what is taking so long.

Hope that helped.

That's awesome, man. Thank for taking the time to explain this. I had to unroot my phone to install 2.3.6 (I thought it was ICS...it didn't say!). So I have decided to remain unrooted until ICS OTA is pushed through, after which I will root again. I'm not hip on all the benefits of rooting, but it did allow me to tweak settings to increase battery life and RAM.

It's not Google. It's Samsung. They have to create the drivers for the kernel and test it. This takes time. If you look at Samsung's release history, they release a broken version, pull it. They usually do this 3 times before it's right. Google released the code, now it's up to the manufacturers to finish tweaking it to make it work. Nobody wants a broken phone.

Yes it is frustrating but that is the life of software development.

Now as for MS, they did not release beta's to the developers back in the XP days. Thats why it was so unstable to begin with, the drivers were not tested enough. That all changed with Vista where they did a deveolpers beta. Fast forward to Win 7 and they did a developers preview (which worked quite well on my laptop) and then they have released the "Consumer Preview" ala Beta...... I have it installed but no time to truly test it. It took MS years to realize that developers needed it early for testing.

ummm...MS always released the specs that developers had to meet to be compatible with windows...period...if you did not meet those specs, your software or hardware was not put on the compatible list...these specs were released to developers in many cases years before the actual public release of the Windows release so that the developers had time to develop.

ummm...MS always released the specs that developers had to meet to be compatible with windows...period...if you did not meet those specs, your software or hardware was not put on the compatible list...these specs were released to developers in many cases years before the actual public release of the Windows release so that the developers had time to develop.

specs are different from the real thing. More time has been given now so when the OS is released drivers can be stable.

Samsung already started rolling the update for Canadian carriers. besides, there is an almost solid ICS leak for ATT Skyrocket version which many people have currently installed on their phones. Unfortunately the official release is at hands of USA carriers and we can only hope it'll be out this summer.

ICS will come to the Skyrocket, don't worry about that. Though its anybody's guess when it will roll out. AT&T is notorious for their slow carrier updates.
If you're really wanting ICS now why not root your phone? Its super easy. I've been running a 4.03 rom for a while now with no problems whatsoever. The devs on XDA have gotten rid of the bugs that were present in the leaked ICS builds.

I have to say that I am really UNHAPPY with ICS 4.0.3 for the SGS2 Skyrocket, but I will get to that in a moment. Regarding "why is the official ICS not out for the skyrocket while it is for other android devices?", note the following: it is my understanding that the Skyrocket has the LTE radio which requires different programming that a standard 4g radio, and that is the root (no pun intended) of the problem. Now to the issues with ICS 4.0.3 for the Skyrocket:

I have been using the leaked version for a while now, and it is NOT stable and NOT ready for primetime. I started with a stock gingerbread phone, which I eventually rooted to get rid of bloat and add tethering. All was good until I put on ICS (I never had ANY problems, but I really wanted ICS and that is the only reason I bought this particular phone in the first place).

Now that I have ICS, my "phone" will have communication problems on a regular basis (garbled sounds on trying to dial out or receive calls. The only way to be able to make receive calls is to shut down and restart.

Occasionally, the device will freeze for no apparent reason, requiring me to remove the battery to get it functional again.

Apps very often Force-Close now.

the OS overall is much slower.

I am not sure why people are indicating that ICS 4.0.3 is so much better than gingerbread (for the skyrocket i727). I wish I didn't upgrade and waited for the ATT release, but no turning back now...

I have been using the leaked version for a while now, and it is NOT stable and NOT ready for primetime.

you do realise that this is the BETA version right? thus the word "leaked" not official. Now, all these problems that you have just listed here are present because (again) this is the leaked beta version NOT intended for the end user. So In this case, getting unhappy about finding so many issues with it and reviewing the engineering verison as if it were the official update seems illogical and irrelevant. I experimented with this leak, also found lots of problems (of course! its a beta!) and removed it and went back to GB. which btw is the answer to your last phrase "no turning back now"
Edit:
one part you did get 100% right though, it is not ready for primetime LOL

I want ICS too, but there is a reason AT&T is not releasing it for the Rocket in your pocket...I'll wait until they get it straight....in the mean time the phone rocks without it...I just ran quadrant for instance and got 3360...how many phones can do that?...and in three weeks on this new phone I have had 0 crashes...nadda...zippo...and I beat the hell out of this thing for 16 hours a day...now on my refurb before this one...well, I was having issues, but was able to trace it to juice defender...a phone wrecker imho(I have a computer engineering degree and like to think I can spot a dog with fleas).

Ice Cream Sandwhich is the new version of Android, which is kind of like the ios4-5 update. Kind of, not exactly. A number of new features are included in the ICS upgrade including; Face Unlock, hardware acceleration, a new Holo Theme, and a few other goodies.

The main appeal of ICS is it has a much sleeker and interesting design, called the holo theme. This theme looks like this. Now, the only phones that get this theme is Google Nexus Devices (like the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon), UNLESS you root. Most of the ROMS for non nexus ICS devices are made to look like the holo theme. Other phones, like our SkyRocket have an overlay UI from Samsung called TouchWiz. HTC devices get Sense overlay, and Motorola phones have MotoBlur. TouchWiz designed a few useful features for their overlay (swiping the status bar slowly is a brightness slider), but it's a really ugly interface.

The update will be available .... soonish. That's all we know, ATT/Samsung will never announce a release date too far ahead of time; that's just how its done. Probably this month or the next unfortunately. Google has released the code for Android, but all carriers/manufacturers take that code and install their overlay on it/put bloatware on it, etc. This extra step from Google to Carriers/Manufacturers to us is what is taking so long.

Hope that helped.

Samsung is known for not updating devices in a timely manner. ICS won't even look like ICS once these. Companies put their crappy overlays like sense or Motoblur which completely ruins the experience. Google needs to put some restrictions on this just like windows did with their OS. I hate android for this. They need to take some notes from IOS. There is impressive hardware on android phones, but until google puts some restrictions on these stupid overlays, it will always feel clunky and glitchy. IOS is smooth as butter, I've tried more than one android phone (Atrix, Inspire, Skyrocket) and android just seems, well, crappy and outdated.

I am not sure why people are indicating that ICS 4.0.3 is so much better than gingerbread (for the skyrocket i727). I wish I didn't upgrade and waited for the ATT release, but no turning back now...

Slower? My phone has been noticeably faster and more responsive with ICS (leak or custom rom). I've even had quadrant scores reach around 3800, while the max I've ever reached on stock GB was around 33-3400.

I do agree with the force closes, though. But, they're pretty rare for me, so I don't mind that much. Also, make sure you backup your phone before you flash. Short of hardware failure, you should always be able to turn back if things go wrong.